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Blueberry pierogi are the ultimate comfort food. Our family has been making pierogi (aka vareniki) for generations. While Mom was teaching me the proper method of making pierogi (don’t worry, I shared every detail in the video!), she told me her sweet memory of Grandma making blackcurrant pierogi in Ukraine. Just as soon as the blackcurrant ripened in the forest, grandma put them in pierogi.
My grandparents (like most people in Ukraine back in the day) were poor but the beauty of Ukrainian cooking is the use of humble ingredients to make scrumptious feasts fit for kings. P.S. Be sure to watch the video recipe!
Watch How to Make Blueberry Pierogi:
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I hope you are inspired to make these blueberry pierogi for your family. You can get creative and try different fillings like cherry, plum or various stone fruit. If you’ve tried pierogi before, let me know your favorite filling and if you love them sweet or savory.
Blueberry Pierogi Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
For the Pierogi Dough:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
For the Blueberry Pierogi Filling:
- 1 lb blueberrie
- 1/3 cup sugar, plus more to sprinkle the top
Instructions
- In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together 1 cup warm water, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/2 Tbsp sour cream, 1 large egg, and 1 tsp salt, just until blended. Note: dough can be made by hand but the mixer is much easier.
- Using the dough hook attachment, add 2 cups flour and mix on speed 2 until incorporated.
- Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time allowing each addition to incorporate before adding more. Add the last bit of flour 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Let the dough knead on speed 2 for 15 minutes. Dough will be soft elastic and feel slightly sticky to the touch, but won’t stick to your fingers.
- Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Working with half of the dough at a time, roll it into a thin disk about 1/8" thick. Flipping the dough over once or twice while rolling will make it easier to work with. Cut the dough into circles using a cookie cutter or drinking glass with a 3" rim.
- Place a round of dough in the palm of your hand with the stickier side up. Add 1/2 tsp sugar to the center and about 5 blueberries. Bring the edges together and pinch tightly to create a strong seal, making sure the sugar does not spill onto the edges. Transfer finished pierogi to a floured cutting board.
- Blend the remaining scraps of dough into remaining dough half, and repeat steps 4 and 5 until all pierogi are finished.
- In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil and add 3/4 Tbsp salt. Carefully place half of finished pierogi in boiling water a few at a time (drop them close to the surface of the water to avoid hot splashes). Once pierogi float to the top, cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer then remove with a slotted spoon and place into a colander to drain.
- When plating pierogi, drizzle sugar in between layers of cooked pierogi to keep them from sticking to each other. The sugar will melt over the hot pierogies and turn into a light syrup. Serve with sour cream or eat them as is. These are best eaten fresh and warm :).
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I’m curious if you have ever tried baking these in the oven directly from the freezer? (No boiling)
Hi Jenna, these are always boiled and not baked. I’ve never tried baking these types of pierogi. Baked piroshki are different and work well for baking.
Would these be a main course pierogi or a dessert one?
You can serve it as a main course or dessert! It’s a very versatile dish.
Absoutely delicious.
Can u freeze these unboiled for later
Hi Twila, Yes – Dust generously with flour and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to a large Ziploc bag and freeze. Also, when you are ready to cook them, place them into boiling water directly from the freezer. Do not thaw.
I do not have sour cream or cottage cheese until I go to the grocery store. Do you think cream cheese or greek yogurt could work? Which do you think would be better?
Hi Elyssa, I haven’t tried that with yogurt but I think it could work. You might add slightly less flour since the yogurt is thicker than buttermilk.
Natasha I wants had these with some kind of thick cream on them what would that be
Hi Kit, are you referring to sour cream?
I love the idea of a sweet pierogi. My grandmother only made sauerkraut as well as farmers cheese pierogi.
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour, or half and half? I was thinking that cake flour may make a lighter dough, less dense.
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you graciously share.
Hi Dawn, I honestly haven’t tried that. My only concern would be if the dough was too light, it may fall apart while cooking.
I always use bread flour for pierogi and the dough comes out perfect.
I am about to make this recipe, needing it for a family event that does not occur for two days. I know I can freeze, but they will need to be transported for about 6 hours in a cooler. I will surround with lots of ice in a cooler, but concerned they may start to thaw a bit. Would it be better to cook the pierogi ahead of time and take in a container where sugar has been sprinkled. I am afraid either way I may have a sticky mess on my hands. Thanks for your thoughts.
Love your site, brings back so many memories.
Hi Mary, it is best served fresh, I’m not sure how well it will the dough will handle being in a cooler if it is cold enough with enough water they should stay frozen, once they start thawing they stick bad! I hope that helps.
Dilemma for sure. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks.
👍🏻
Excellent recipe and video! Thank you for posting. No matter what you call them, these are a truly universal food enjoyed by all Slavic peoples.
You’re so welcome!
Hi Natasha…you make things so easy & yummy looking..I watch your videos so much & pin lots of them…this one is a yesssss to gotta try. They look sooooo good.
I hope you love this recipe, Janet! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Can gluten free flour be used to make the dough?
Hi Maryann! I haven’t tested that wit gluten free. If you experiment please let me know how you like that recipe!
Thank you Natasha, as an Ukrainian, pierogies have been my favorite dish all my life. My mom made the best I have ever had and I’m so sorry that I didn’t pay more attention when she was making them or at least write down her recipe. She has been gone since 1998. She used to make them from saskatoon berries and I always wanted to try making those but now with your blueberry recipe, I think it should be similar with the saskatoons? She also made them with prunes, and also morels.
Thank you so much for sharing! I love all the different filling options for pierogi!
Hi Natasha I don’t have buttermilk but I do have heavy whipping cream can I use that instead and if so do I use the same amount?
Hi Valentina, I think it’s worth experimenting and I would use the same amount.
In my opinion, blueberry vareniki are the best! My mama made them so yummy, but my dough would come out too hard. I wanted to suggest a yummy variation that our family started. Toss the warm vareniki with butter and honey. Amazing!
Thank you for sharing your great review!
I love making and eating pyrohy. I will try sprinkling sugar to prevent sticking. My mom taught me to use butter on them but they still stick when they get cold. I use a Cuisinart to mix the dough. I always presift my flour to make the dough soft. When the dough is made, I wrap it in saran wrap then put it into the fridge covered with a cloth to let it rest. I divide it in quarters when rolling the dough. Left over dough is rolled into a ball and refrigerated and used at the end. Any suggestions on how to make it easy to roll as I find the left overs much harder to roll. I always have tea with pyrohy in memory of my dad. I like sour cream and soft sauteed onions over top of them.
That sounds lovely, William! Thank you for that wonderful review and sharing your memories with us!
Can this be frozen before the boil. Can they also be boiled then fried?
Hi Cindy! Yes they are freezer friendly. Dust generously with flour and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to a large Ziploc bag and freeze. Also, when you are ready to cook them, place them into boiling water directly from the freezer. Do not thaw. Frying them post boil sounds like it may work!
Hey is there any way I can use frozen blueberries for this recipe?
Hi Yelena, yes that would work. I would add them frozen so they don’t juice onto the edges
Lived in Ukraine for six months back in 1990. Fell in love with the people and the food. Learned to make borscht but can never duplicate the wonderful sunflower oil for fried potatoes. Lived their in the winter. What a challenge.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Louise! What a great experience that must’ve been!
Hey would I be able to just diy be the ingredients to make double the recipe or would I have to mage two seperate batches of dough? I already made it once and love it so does my husband. I want to make extra to freeze and to give out to neighbors and family
Hi Inna, I think it could work to double the dough if you have a large stand mixer that can accommodate that much dough (probably a 6 Qt would be best) and it might require a little more kneading.
Hi Natasha, I plan to make these again except with mashed potato with the same dough just bigger size. My plan is to freeze them but If I have leftover dough,even after the potato mix, is the dough freezer friendly? Or what could I make with the leftover dough lol I do have my mother in law’s apricot jam in the fridge but afraid it’s too runny. Got any tips or advice? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the great review, Snizhana! The left over dough works for both sweet and savory vareniki or pelmeni.
Hi, I make a mashed potato dough and usually fill them with a dried prune (or thick jam – not certo type). If I make a bit batch, I put uncooked ones in freezer. Then take straight from freezer and cook in boiling water. We eat these with browned & sweetened breadcrumbs. This is the Hungarian version called gomboc.
These came out so delicious. I froze half the batch for postpartum easy meal prep lol my husband and I devoured the other half. Although mine yeilded around 47ish..I wonder if it’s because I maybe did just couple tablespoons over of flour. Kind of tricky to get the dough to its right consistency, then again I’m a newbie at this lol Regardless thank you Natasha!
Hi Snizhana, it could also be due to the size of pierogi you are rolling out. It can vary if you make your rounds wider or thicker. 🙂 I’m so glad you loved the recipe and that is so smart to freeze some with a baby on the way! Congratulations!!